Designing the Perfect Financial Fit
Even as a high schooler, Miranda knew the value of hard work — and a good banking partner. With income from her first job at a locally owned neighborhood grocery store, the 15-year-old turned to UFCU for her first checking account. Though both parents went to The University of Texas at Austin™, Miranda headed to New York City for college and the launch of her career in fashion.
“From a young age, I was really obsessed with what I was wearing. I even named my clothes! My grandmother was a home economics teacher and taught me how to sew. I started making my own clothes in high school.
While in New York, I always really missed Austin, and I wanted to translate the work I was doing in New York back here. I always saw it as a thriving creative scene for music, but I didn’t recognize Austin as a haven for other creativity until later on. And with the growth of e-commerce and social media, being in New York or LA wasn’t the imperative that it used to be.
In 2013, I returned and soon started Miranda Bennett Studio (MBS) using a UFCU Small Business Administration loan when we opened our store. MBS is an apparel and lifestyle brand that features plant-dyed colorways, locally manufactured with a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating employment opportunities for Austin's refugee population. We cultivate our own dyes on a farm between Elgin and Manor. It is important to keep it in Austin. All the relationships along my supply chain are local.
I saw a lot of opportunity in being here, and the community is so welcoming. That includes UFCU. I enjoy the humanity of UFCU. I always feel heard and important when I work with UFCU. You can really feel their relationship-based approach to banking, whether it's over the phone or in person. UFCU has been a significant part of the development of MBS.”
Name Miranda B
Member Since 2010
Services Checking, SBA Loans
Representative Mark H